Chapter 131: The Newspaper Is About to Be Published

Actually, Li Yuechen was not particularly obsessed with leaving her name in the annals of history. However, driven by a certain mischievous sense of humor, she still hoped to leave behind some traces to give future generations a pleasant surprise.

After all, that fellow Wang Mang never left any definitive physical evidence to prove his true identity, but she would be different. At the very least, she intended to draw a silly cartoon dog face inside her future burial chamber, or perhaps construct a computer model to definitively prove her status as a time traveler.

Though this discovery might inadvertently alter the trajectory of future technological evolution, well... history had already deviated completely from its original course anyway, so a bit more deviation in the future shouldn't matter much, right?

Lost in these thoughts, a young eunuch suddenly arrived at the Anfu Palace to announce that her father was summoning her. Li Yuechen got up, slipped into her wooden clogs, and walked over to the Renshou Palace with Xiao He trailing behind holding an umbrella.

As soon as she stepped inside the doorway, Emperor Li Zhi waved with a broad smile on his face, "Come, come, Chen'er, hurry over here!"

Seeing him in such high spirits, Li Yuechen couldn't help asking, "Father appears exceptionally happy. Is there some good news?"

Li Zhi nodded, "Good, truly wonderful!"

Her mother, Empress Wu, seated nearby, also wore a beaming smile. "Chen'er, overnight you have truly become renowned throughout the entire realm!"

"Ah... Actually, I find this rather troubling." Li Yuechen forced a slightly awkward, wry smile.

"Is it because of the temples people are now wishing to build in your honor?" Li Zhi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Li Yuechen nodded. "Just thinking about it feels thoroughly awkward."

"Such matters cannot be entirely prevented," Li Zhi chuckled. "The Eastern Capital and Chang'an might be well-managed, but in other remote prefectures and counties, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away..."

He left the rest unsaid, but the implication was crystal clear.

Li Yuechen shook her head. "Never mind, as long as I don't have to witness it myself, it's fine."

Her mother sat down beside them, gently sweeping back her sleeve. "What are your plans moving forward?"

"Last year, I already had the Junior Minister of the Court of Agrarian Affairs send people to search for alternative rice varieties in other regions, to see if yields can be further increased," Li Yuechen replied. "One can never have too much grain."

"Your mother thinks it might be better to slow down this plan somewhat," Wu Zetian suddenly interjected.

Li Yuechen raised her head in confusion, failing to understand. "Why is that?"

"Think about it: if there is a bumper harvest every single year, grain prices will inevitably plummet. When that happens, wouldn't a blessing turn into a disaster for farmers who make their living by tilling the land?" Wu Zetian retorted.

What kind of problem was this? Li Yuechen stared in utter bewilderment.

"Mother, this isn't a problem at all," Li Yuechen answered. "The imperial court simply needs to issue an edict to protect grain prices. Whatever grain farmers cannot sell, the state will purchase at a guaranteed floor price, ensuring they suffer no losses."

This argument left even Wu Zetian baffled. "What use would the imperial court have for so much surplus grain?"

Li Yuechen raised an eyebrow. "It can be used for countless things! A portion can be stored in reserve to provide disaster relief should natural calamities strike elsewhere. Another portion can be used to sustain the expenses of military units like the Gate Guard. Furthermore, as my workshops continue to expand in the future, they will require more workers, and the people we recruit will also need to be fed, won't they?"

"This..."

To be honest, Wu Zetian truly hadn't considered this aspect initially. She turned her head to look at her husband.

Emperor Li Zhi was also momentarily startled, but quickly grasped the logic.

When all was said and forth, the ancients were not foolish; their perspectives were simply limited by their scope of knowledge. For many matters, a single hint was all it took for them to immediately understand.

Admittedly, such a measure would indeed increase state expenditures significantly, but by the same token, the state's capacity to withstand risks would be vastly enhanced!

Having figured it out, Li Zhi suddenly broke into a grin, shook his head, and said nothing more.

Wu Zetian understood his intent as well, and smoothly shifted the conversation with her daughter to other trivial matters.

Seeing that she was no longer needed, Li Yuechen did not linger. Noting that the time was growing late, she rose and took her leave.

After their daughter departed, Wu Zetian sighed softly, "If things continue this way, I'm afraid certain people will no longer be able to sit still."

"No matter!"

Li Zhi wore an utterly carefree expression. "When all is said and done, Chen'er is merely a princess. Let her make as much of a fuss as she pleases."

***

Walking out of the Renshou Palace, Li Yuechen's mind was occupied with entirely different thoughts. She still had more to say earlier.

Another major benefit of having abundant grain was the ability to gradually transition the current militia system into a standing mercenary army system.

Li Yuechen had begun sneaking into imperial court sessions to observe politics several years ago. Moreover, when visiting the Renshou Palace, she would sometimes lounge beside her mother and catch glimpses of the contents written in the memorials.

Currently, phenomena of households fleeing their registered lands and wandering as vagrants could be observed across virtually all regions of the country, and over the years, this trend seemed to be steadily growing.

Although these signs were not yet overly pronounced, it was clear that if left unchecked, the militia system would eventually experience total collapse.

Moreover, looking closely at the Anshi Rebellion during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang—while it was uncertain whether that was the direct result of the militia system's collapse—historically speaking, the Great Tang had indeed run into severe structural problems by that era.

Working backward from that outcome, one could safely conclude that the militia system could no longer be sustained for much longer.

Since she had decided to make a difference for the people of this era, reforming the military system was imperative.

Li Yuechen pondered that perhaps once her mother ascended the throne as emperor, she could request a military post of some sort and then begin the overhaul of the armed forces.

By now, she was already the Junior Vice Minister of Revenue, having successfully stepped into civil officialdom. Securing a title like Grand General of a Campaign Army in the future wouldn't be entirely out of the question, right?

***

The morning and evening air in the seventh month had already begun to turn cool, and Li Yuechen could finally dispense with practicing her martial arts indoors.

The production of movable type at the Directorate for Palace Buildings was proceeding smoothly. Thus far, over fifty characters had been cast, and every single one of them had been tested, yielding exceptionally clear prints.

Estimating that the timing was right, the paper-making workshop had also begun experimenting with bamboo paper, though their first two attempts had ended in failure.

Upon hearing the news, Li Yuechen advised them not to be impatient, to calm their minds, carefully analyze where the errors lay, and troubleshoot them step by step.

Seeing that the princess was not angry, Old Du and the others heaved sighs of relief and promptly vowed to resolve the issues.

Finding such an employer in this era was remarkably difficult, and none of them wished to lose this livelihood lightly.

Afterward, Li Yuechen headed to Mount Mang to inspect the progress of their blast furnaces.

At present, the blast furnaces had all been constructed and officially entered the experimental phase.

Seeing Li Yuechen arrive, the craftsmen led her not far away. "Please look, Your Highness. These two furnaces on the right have already developed cracks and must be considered failures. However, the ones on the left currently show no issues at all..."

Li Yuechen nodded. "Can they produce high-quality steel?"

A craftsman nodded respectfully, looking somewhat embarrassed. "The quality is slightly improved compared to before, but... not by a significant margin."

"That is already quite good," Li Yuechen nodded. "Being able to see any improvement at all is a positive sign. Just keep trying until you produce superior steel!"

"Understood! Rest assured, Your Highness, your subordinates will give it our utmost effort!"

Li Yuechen nodded. Having the drive was what mattered; even if they failed to invent it in a lifetime, having this spirit of striving and the courage to experiment was the key.

***

Fortunately, their efforts did not go unrewarded, and results soon followed.

On the tenth day of the eighth month—five days before the Mid-Autumn Festival—word came from the paper-making workshop that bamboo paper had been successfully produced!

Upon receiving the news, Li Yuechen immediately boarded a carriage and rushed out of the city to the workshop at top speed.

As soon as she stepped through the gates, a group of craftsmen hurriedly bowed respectfully. At the same time, the irrepressible smiles on their faces were clearly visible.

Old Du, standing at the very front, held a stack of newly crafted bamboo paper in his hands and offered it respectfully, "Please inspect this, Your Highness."

Li Yuechen took the sheets and examined them. For reasons unknown, the color of this bamboo paper was not as pristine white as other papers, carrying a slightly yellowish tint.

She gently tugged at a sheet and felt the tensile strength was quite good. Holding it up against the sunlight outside, she observed that the texture was relatively uniform, with no obvious variations in thickness.

She then tore a sheet. With a crisp *rip*, the paper divided into two halves in her hands, featuring clean edges and very few fibers.

"Bring brush and ink!" Li Yuechen gestured.

Old Du had long been prepared. He waved his hand immediately, signaling the waiting workers to respectfully present a tray laden with writing materials.

Li Yuechen picked up a brush and casually wrote a few characters to test it. Lifting the brush, she saw that the ink showed no signs of bleeding or feathering, and could not help nodding in approval.

This paper was already more than adequate for newspapers or everyday writing. Although its color lacked pristine whiteness, the handwriting was sharp and legible, making it quite a fine grade of paper.

"Splendid!"

Turning to them, Li Yuechen offered genuine praise. "This paper is exceptionally good. I shall take some back later to conduct printing experiments. If successful, I will issue you all extra bonuses next month!"

Though they did not fully understand what "bonuses" specifically entailed, the literal phrasing made it obvious that rewards were forthcoming. The group of workers instantly beamed with joy and bowed in unison, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

Li Yuechen said no more. She gathered the stack of newly made paper, boarded her carriage, and returned to the imperial palace.

Reaching the Imperial City, Li Yuechen leaped from the carriage and headed straight for the Directorate for Palace Buildings, instructing them to bring out the movable type pieces that had been cast.

The craftsmen had manufactured the type according to the sequence of the Thousand Character Classic, and had thus far produced nearly fifty characters.

Giving it some thought, Li Yuechen simply told them to bring out the entire set. Since the newly made paper had not yet been trimmed and possessed a sufficiently large surface area, it should be able to accommodate every single character.

The craftsmen did not dare to delay, immediately fetching all the cast characters. After arranging them in order, they secured the assembly within a wooden frame.

Next, they applied ink evenly across the surface, laid a fresh sheet of bamboo paper directly over it, rolled a cylinder back and forth across the back a few times, and gently peeled the sheet away.

"Please inspect the result, Your Highness."

Li Yuechen reached out, took the paper, and looked. Heavens above, the crisp characters stood out clearly on the page, down to the finest detail of every single stroke, with nothing lost!

"Splendid, splendid, splendid!"

Uttering a heartfelt expression of admiration, Li Yuechen put the sheet away and turned to instruct them, "You are to manufacture the remaining characters as quickly as possible. Once the set is complete, I shall bestow a heavy reward!"

"Understood!" the craftsmen chorused. Just as they raised their heads to ask a question, Li Yuechen had already departed with Fu Lai in tow.

Leaving the Directorate for Palace Buildings, Li Yuechen headed straight to the Renshou Palace with a sense of eager anticipation.

Inside the hall, the imperial couple was sipping wine from the transparent crystal stemware their daughter had gifted them previously. As they drank, they marveled at the exceptional clarity of the glassware and its complete absence of air bubbles.

Seeing their daughter run in with an excited expression, Li Zhi raised an eyebrow and smiled, his slightly flushed face bearing a hint of tipsy merriment. "Chen'er, what wonderful news brings you here today?"

Li Yuechen spread the freshly printed sheet of paper across the table. "Father, take a look at this!"

"Hmm?" Li Zhi lowered his gaze and his eyes widened. "Isn't this my own handwriting? Who could imitate it with such uncanny precision!"

"Father, stop pretending to be drunk!" Li Yuechen directly punctured his rare burst of humor. "This is the fruit of movable type printing technology!"

Having his bluff called, Li Zhi wryly pulled a face, stroked his beard, set down his cup, and picked up the paper on the table to examine it closely.

Her mother leaned over to take a look as well, and nodded in involuntary astonishment. "It is indeed His Majesty's handwriting, without the slightest deviation!"

Li Yuechen chuckled. "The best part is that this bamboo paper has a low production cost and can be manufactured in massive quantities. Because of this, the newspaper I mentioned earlier can now be officially launched."

"Ah..." Li Zhi nodded and smiled. "Go right ahead and do it!"

"Understood!"

With a cheerful reply, Li Yuechen gave her father and mother each a hearty hug accompanied by a loud kiss on the cheek, then turned and took her leave.

***

Returning to the Anfu Palace, Li Yuechen impatiently summoned her two elder sisters and Shangguan Wan'er. "Come, help me design the layout!"

"Layout?" Shangguan Wan'er clearly did not understand. "What does that mean?"

Spreading the paper out on the table, Li Yuechen explained the concept to them, then continued, "Naturally, the front page must focus primarily on government policies and news announcements. The subsequent pages can feature recruitment advertisements, supernatural tales, or local gossip and market trivia..."

As she spoke, she sketched out a rough template. "Depending on the final draft, different items will occupy varying amounts of space. For instance, major state news should be placed right in the center, while matters executed by various subordinate bureaus can be placed alongside..."

Listening to Li Yuechen's explanation, Shangguan Wan'er and the two princesses nodded, indicating they grasped her intent.

The four of them then huddled over the desk to begin sketching designs. Regarding the dimensions of the newspaper, Li Yuechen decided to make it roughly half the size of future broadsheets.

However, it could consist of multiple pages, making it not only convenient to hold but also much more comfortable to read.

Simultaneously, she realized she should instruct the Directorate for Palace Buildings to cast a few larger-sized characters specifically for printing headlines, as headlines ought to stand out prominently.

As they worked on the layout, Li Yuechen mused that in this era, a daily publication frequency like that of future newspapers was completely unrealistic and impossible.

After careful consideration, she decided on a weekly publication schedule. For the current era, this frequency was reasonably practical.

Moreover, if published as a weekly periodical and serialized stories were included, it could generate a sense of anticipation, which would have a positive impact on the circulation and spread of the newspaper.